Cruise ship diverted to San Diego due to high surf

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - A cruise ship headed to Long Beach was in San Diego Sunday evening after being diverted because of big waves.

Carnival Imagination was diverted to San Diego after forecasters predicted severe surf and wave action Sunday in Southern California impacting southern facing waterfronts, including the cruise ship pier in Long Beach. The surf could make it unsafe for cruise ships and potentially stress the vessel's mooring lines. So in interest of caution, the cruise ship was diverted to San Diego.

Passengers who were scheduled to sail on Carnival Imagination Sunday afternoon were advised to check in at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal. Buses were then provided to transport passengers from Long Beach to San Diego.

Carnival Imagination arrived in San Diego at 6:00 a.m. The passengers who were on-board disembarked throughout the morning to make room for oncoming passengers expected later in the afternoon.

The ship was expected to depart at 10:00 p.m. The ship's scheduled visit to Catalina on Monday has been cancelled. However, the scheduled visit to Enseneda will be extended to include a full day and overnight stay.

The ship was expected to return to its home port in Long Beach on Thursday, May 7.